Electrically-heated blanket



Jan. 25, 1927. 1,615,294

w. H. Tl JRVER- I ELECTRI CALLY HEATED BLANKET Filed May '12. 1923 Jru/enfar: Z/lY/I'dMIZI'l/WPK Patented Jan. 25, 1927.

; UNITED sT TEs 1,615,294 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. TURVER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN': MENTS, OF ONE-FOURTH TO THOMAS H. MCCQKSEY, 0]? LOS ANGEIES, CALIFORNIA; ONE-FOURTH T0 ALBERT CHAMPION, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH; ONE-FOURTH TO. JAMES H. WHITSON, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA; AND ONE-FOURTH TO MEL- VIN G. RIPLEY, OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA. I

ELECTRICALLY-HEATED BLAI TKET.

Application filed May 12,

An object of my invention is to provide,

a fabric sheet having electrical conductors woven therein in such manner that on d1- recting the electrical current through the conductors a magnetic field willbe created and a heating action effected substantially throughout the area of the sheet.

Another object is to provide a means whereby the electrical conductorsmay be interwoven with the warp and weft threads of a woven fabric in such manner as to permit ready flexure of the fabric sheet.

With the foregoing objects in'view, together with such other objects and advan tages as may subsequently appear, my invention resides in the construction and arrangement hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a magnetic blanket as formed of sheet material, showing the manner in which it is connected to an element of a source of electrical supply Figure 2 is a plan view showing the manner of interweaving electrical conductors with the warp and weft threads of a fabric.

Figure 3 is a detail in perspective sh0W- ing the manner 'in which the electrical conductor is wound spirally on a thread or cord which is woven into the sheet of fabric.

Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the manner of arranging the conductors relative to the weft threads of afabric.

Figure 5 is a detail in section and perspective of a thermostat employed in the electrical connection to the conductors of the sheet, to automatically prevent heating.

More specifically, 6 indicates a fabric sheet embodying weft threads 7 and warp threads 8 which are interwoven, as particularly shown in Figure 2, to form a fabric sheet, which sheet is shown in Figure 1 as formed to provide a magnetic blanket, but' which obviously may be employed in the making of other articles such as pads, garments. and the like.

In forming the sheet in accordance with my invention an electrical conductor 9 is 1923. Serial No. 633,580.

wound spirally around one of the warp threads, indicated at 10, and an electrical conductor llis wound spirallyaround a weft thread, indicated at 12; the threads'IO and 12 preferably comprising what is known as seine cord and the conductors 9 and 11 constituting what is known as magnet wire. The wire comprises a series of fine strands 13 of conductive material encased in a sheath of insulating material 14 surrounded by a fabric cover 15.

The cord 10 carrying the conductor 9 is arranged between adjacent warp threads in the weaving operation near the selvage in the sheet, and in itself constitutes a warp element andis engaged by the weft threads to hold it in place, and the cord 11 carrying the conductor 12 is woven back and forth across the weft threads and constitutes in itself a weft element which is interwoven with the warp threads so as to be held in place by the latter. The conductors 9 and ilbare thus located within the body of the a MC.

In weaving the combined conductor 11 and cord 12 into the fabric it is preferably extended continuously back and forth so as to. extend transversely across the sheet between the selvage thereof with adjacent lengths of the combined conductor and cord disposed comparatively close together and preferably spaced such distance apart that a plurality of the weft threads will extend between adjacent transverse portions of the conductor and cord, as particularly shown in Figure 2. The conductor 9 and cord 10 extend adjacent one edge of the sheet between the return portions of the conductor 11 and cord 12. .By thus arranging the combined conductors and cords in the body of the fabric sheet the latter may be made or cut in any desired lengths, so that the conductor 9 will have its ends terminating adjacent the ends of the sheet as indicated at 1 6 and 17 in Figure 1, and likewise the conductor 12 will have ends terminating adjacent the ends of the sheet as indicated at 18 and 19.

In the application of the invention the ends 16 and 18 of the conductors 9 and 11 ductors 9 and 11 connect with an element of a source of electrical supply from the conductors 21 and 22. The element of the source of electrical supply is here shown as embodying an ordinary electric light socket and switch 23 connecting with the usual conductors 24 leading to any suitable source of electrical, supply and to which switch socket is connected a two-way socket 25 fitted with a light bulb 26 and av plug 27; the plug affording the connection between the socket 25 and the conductors 21 and 22.

As a means for preventing overheatin of the conductors in the fabric a. suitable thermostat 28 is interposed in the conductor 22, which thermostat is here shown as embodying a shell 29 which is held in place on the fabric sheet in any desired manner so as to be influenced by the heat generatedby the flow of electrical current through the conductor 11.

The thermostat is here shown as embodying an expansible and contractible element 30 one end of which is fastened, as indicated at 31, within the shell, and electrically connected to the conductor 11. The outer end of the element 30 forms a contact member which. normally bears against the end of a stem 32 mounted on a screw 33 threaded in a bearing 34 on the shell and having its outer end fitted with a knurled head 35 by which the screw 33 may be turned to advance or retract the stem 32 relative to the element 30. The stem 32 iselectrically connected to the conductor 22. The element 30 is designed to expand under the action of heat and thereby be caused to move away from the end of the stem 32 when subjected to a predetermined temperature so as to break the electrical circuit to the conductors 9 and 11 when the temperature of the conductor 9 is such as to radiate sufficient heat to the element 23 to expand the latter enough to break the cir- 7 having electrical conductors 37 and 38'therein which are here shown as connected in series by a conductor 39 and have their terminals connecting with the conductor 11 at spaced points in the latter, so that the conductors in the boots may be arranged parallel to the length of the conductor 9 between the points of connection with the latter and the conductors 38 and 39.

It will be seen that by directing the electrical current from the conductors 9 and ii a magnetic field will be set up substantially throughout the area of the fabric sheet, and at the same time the conductors, which constitute resistance elements, will be heated so as to effect a warming action throughout the sheet.

By interweaving the conductors within the fabric as herein set forth, the completed sheet will not be materially stiffened by reason of resistance to bending movement afforded by the conductor wires; the spiral arrangement of the wires around the cord permitting ready flexure'thereof and rendering the completed sheet quite pliable.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself to the exact form and arrangement as herein shown, but may employ such modifications and changes as come within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim-.-

In a blanket of the character described, a sheetof woven fabric having warp and weft threads andformed with selvages on opposite margins thereof, a cord interwoven with the weft threads extending between a pair of warp threads adjacent one of the selvages of the sheet, an insulated wire wound spirally around said cord, a second cord interwoven with the warp threads and extending back and forth throughout a substantial area of the sheet between the other cord and one of the selvages of the sheet with the return bends thereof adjacent one edge of the Sheet spaced inwardly from the first named cord and with the return bends adjacent the other edge of the sheet spaced inwardly therefrom, an insulated wire wound spirally around said second cord having one terminal thereof electrically connected to one terminal of the insulated wire on the other cord, and means for connecting the free terminals of the pair of insulatedwires into an electric circuit.

WILLIAM H. TURVER. 

